Since it is close to Halloween, toilet paper seems like a good topic to post on. I had totally forgotten that yard rolling happens at this time of year and was not reminded until Halloween was over with. So, since it does you no good this year, maybe I can help you decide how to get the most for your money next year. I know you are all going yard rolling next year, right? (Believe it or not, I have never rolled a yard). 🙂

When I first visited Rhode Island, I noticed that everybody was using 1-ply toilet paper. I began to wonder if they even sold 2-ply toilet paper up here! After moving here, I have discovered that they do indeed sell 2-ply. For some reason that I did not understand, everyone seemed to prefer 1-ply over 2-ply.

I grew up thinking that 1-ply was used in stores and schools, but nobody used it at home. Because my parents always used 2-ply and considered 1-ply “cheap,” I always thought it was not worth anything.  It seemed like a waste of money to me because everyone knows that you have to use twice as much 1-ply as 2-ply, right?

Just out of curiosity, I checked the prices here and discovered that 1-ply is cheaper per 100 squares, but that didn’t seem to make it cheaper to use because of the extra amount of 1-ply used. I was not convinced that it was a better deal.

One day about a year ago, because I had plenty of practice using 1-ply here in RI, I realized that I do not use twice as much 1-ply  as 2-ply. I used a maximum of 50%  more 1-ply squares (I counted each and every square – just teasing). 😉 Another thing that ultimately swayed me to the other side was the fact that young children tend to waste toilet paper (at least mine do). Either they roll it off onto the floor or, even worse, throw as much as possible into the toilet. I have decided that I might actually save money with the 1-ply.

Because I was so strongly against 1-ply all my life, I had to do a little test before I was convinced. I went ahead and bought a 4 pack of 1-ply to test. I was amazed at how long that four pack lasted. It lasted twice as long as a 2-ply 4 pack. I was convinced. I have used 1-ply ever since, only now that it has passed my inspection, I buy the 12 pack.

So, now I don’t even notice when Wal-Mart has 1-ply toilet paper in their bathrooms. I believe that, at least here in Rhode Island, 1-ply is the best frugal choice.  Then again, maybe it is the best deal because that is what everyone here prefers.But, hey, it never hurts to check out the price and compare, right?

You never knew there was such a science to something as simple as toilet paper, did you? 😀

It seems to be common among shoppers to drive around the parking lot looking for a space close to the store to save steps, but unless you are only buying a few things, parking close to the store does not actually save steps.

Let’s say you get the very first parking space that is not handicapped. After loading down your cart in the store, you push it out to load it all in your car. After working a miracle getting it all in your car, you are then stuck with an empty cart to put away. By the time you walk halfway down the parking lot to put it away, you have used all the extra steps you thought you had saved by parking close to the store.

If you park halfway down the parking lot, you can grab a cart on the way by and deposit it back in the cart rack after your shopping is done. No steps are saved by doing this, but you might save yourself a little time looking for a space. 🙂

This advice is not intended for those who shop in stores that have cart racks in the front of the store, those who buy small quantities that can be carried out by hand, or those who refrain from returning the cart to the rack.